Argentinian PhD student Josefina del Mármol, who studies biological sciences at the Rockefeller University in New York, once planned to become a classical pianist. But Bach took a back seat, and now del Mármol is focusing on biophysics and molecular neurobiology as one of 48 inaugural Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) international student research fellows.

Do you miss music's former role in your life?

There's a piano at Rockefeller that everyone can use. It's so great that it's there, because I couldn't bring mine from home. I like to play all classical music. But now it's just a hobby.

What prompted you to pursue science?

I wanted to be a musician, but in high school I took a biology class, and that changed everything. We studied evolution, and I couldn't stop reading and studying it. At college, I took up biology and never looked back.

Describe your first major project.

As an undergraduate, I developed a fluorescent probe for tissue that lets you control what is being lit and when. That work was published last year in Analytical Chemistry and I was first author. It reaffirmed my interest in pursuing a science career.

What specific area are you working in?

Mechanosensation — the conversion of mechanical stimuli into cellular responses. It has a role in the sense of touch and in physiological processes such as blood-flow sensing by vessels. Unlike for senses such as smell or vision, the molecular nature of mechanosensation remains poorly understood.

How did you become interested in the topic?

I attended a lecture on mechanically gated ion channels by Roderick MacKinnon, and decided to do a rotation in his lab. I began monitoring how ion-channel activity responds to mechanical stimulation.

What advice can you offer others looking to work for big names such as MacKinnon?

You have to feel genuine interest and motivation for the question being researched. If you are in it only for the prestige, it will show during your interviews.

What has been your most significant challenge so far?

Coming to the United States. It's been a huge adjustment. All my undergraduate biology courses were in Spanish, but here, the science is very intense, yet I have to speak and write in English. Plus it's very cold and the light gets dim at 4 o'clock in the afternoon. This will be my second winter here, and I know I'm in for months and months of suffering.

Why did you want to study in the United States?

While I was an undergraduate in Argentina, I wasn't sure I wanted to go abroad, but I met lecturers from Rockefeller. They were so free — the way they thought, what they were doing. Scientists in Argentina are limited by money and resources, and the scientific community is much smaller than in the United States. You can't always study exactly what you want because there may not be a lab working on it. At Rockefeller, I work with top-notch scientists every day — I'm far closer to where science is actually happening.

Has the HHMI award changed your opinion on the feasibility of a career in academia?

Yes. Coming into a graduate career in the United States, I was aware that funding is quite hard to find for international people. But so far, both Rockefeller and HHMI have supported me, which gives me the idea that it's not impossible to build up a career here regardless of my citizenship, even in times of financial crisis.

Is there one issue that consistently crops up in your work?

Managing stress. I watch my principal investigator; although he's under a lot of pressure, he enjoys the science he does. And that's a good way to do it — be really motivated, but stay calm and try to have fun.